A bug out vehicle needs to be one of the most important parts of your disaster preparations as it is the vehicle that you will be using to get you and your family to safety if a disaster strikes. As a result, you will want to make your bug out vehicle as capable as possible which can be achieved by utilizing certain auto parts, such as a locking differential and skid plates.

Locking Differential

Since you may end up having to go off-road when a disaster strikes, it is in your best interests to make it much harder for your bug out vehicle to get stuck. This is important because many of the safest bug out locations may actually be in remote or rural areas, or you may have to avoid major roads in order to evacuate a busy city due to the traffic jams that may ensue when everyone else in the city tries to get out as well. 

One of the easiest ways to keep your vehicle from getting hopelessly stuck if you have to go off-road is to replace your current differential with a locking one. In most cases, a vehicle will have a differential that is designed to send more energy from the engine to the wheels that are spinning more quickly. Unfortunately, this means that if you have one or more tires stuck in sand, snow, mud, or off the ground that those wheels will get the majority of the power from the engine while the tires that are not spinning uselessly will not have enough power to pull you free.

However, a locking differential works by sending equal amounts of power to all four of your wheels at all times. This means that if you do have a wheel or two that is spinning uselessly, the other wheels will still be receiving power. As a result, those wheels may still be able to pull you free from whatever you were stuck in.

Skid Plates

If you are going to be going off-road in your bug out vehicle, then it is important that you protect the underside of your vehicle from the rocks and other debris that could potentially damage your vehicle and render it inoperable. For example, rocks could potentially damage your brake lines, fuel line, fuel tank, and engine. However, skid plates are an easy way to avoid those issues as they are designed to cover the sensitive areas underneath your vehicle and protect them from any debris or other items that may scrape along the underside of your vehicle.

Speak to an auto parts specialist in order to discuss which parts you should consider to make your bug out vehicle more capable. Locking differentials can help keep you from getting hopelessly stuck, while skid plates can prevent vital components of your vehicle from being damaged if you go off-road.

For cheap replacement parts, consider contacting a company like Four-Twenty-Two Auto Wrecking.

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